Baseball game



July 1,1941. E, L 5|' ,1\TE.RV v I 21,247,853

I BAsEBAtL GAME Filed June 15, 1939 INVENTOH Patented July l, 1941Application June 15, 1939, Serial No. 279,335

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a board game for simulating a baseballgame.

An object of my invention is to provide a baseball game which can beplayed by two players,

one in the position of a pitcher and the other in the position of abatter.

A further object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary rotatingdevice which imparts a spinningl action to the ball or marble with whichthe game is played and which adds certain features to the game toprovide a closer4 actual simulation to the actual ball game.

A further object of my invention is to provide openings for receivingthe driven marble or ball and which opening indicates certain playingconditions.

A further object of my invention is to provide the above mentionedobjects in a simple construction.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the gameV showing the entire arrangement,

Figure 2y is an enlarged sectional detail viewV taken substantiallyalong the lines 2-2 of Figuriflire 3 is a plan detail of the rotatingdevice, ad nlllligure 4 is a side elevation of the rotating devlcIehaveused the character I to designate generally the base of a board or theeld which includes several openings II which are formed in the bottom I0leaving a slight thickness as a base. The receiving openings Il arespaced approximately as shown and positioned about the same are a seriesof vertical pins=l2 which are adapted to stop the motion of the ball ormarble so that the same in many cases will fall into the openings II.

Extending about the perimeter of the bottom I0 are the side walls I3 andthe walls I4. Spaced from the left hand side wall I3 is a verticalbarrier I5 which leaves a spaceat I6. Attached at I1 to one of the endwalls I4 is the spring member I8 which is bent inwardly to the strikingportion I9 and is then bent backwardly and thence into the graspingportion 20. Attached at the other end of the board and along the sameside wall i3 is the covering member 2| which extends into the curvedportion 22 which curved portion ex.- tends vertically down to the baseIIJ of the boa-rd. (See Figure 2,.)

The yspace between` the member 2 I .and the base I0 is indicated by thecharacter 23 which is hol'- low for the reception of the marbles and thesmall wooden cylinders which representthe players, one of such playersbeing indicated by the character 24 in Figure l and which isH simply acircular block of a fairly substantial height. Attached at 25 within theopening 23 is a further spring member 26 which, is'bent into thestriking portion 21 which is bent backwardly and then into thegraspngportion 28. Pivotally' attached to the base I0 is the rotating member 29which member rotates upon the screw 3.0 which screw is recessed withinthe base asV at 3|. AV small washer 32 spaces the base 33 of the member2.9 apart from the base I0 and a nut 34 is attached above the baseallowing a fairly loose engagement therewith so that the device 29canrotate freely.

The member 29 includes a series of upwardly projecting fins 35 whichextend approximately radially to the center with the exception, however, that the members 35 do not pass directly through the center of thedevice. The ns 35 are of a substantial width and are bent upwardly fromthe horizontal portions 36. A further single` ln 31 is bent upwardlyfrom the portion 36 which 1in, however, is substantially less than halfthe width of the ns 35 and which fin 31 is positioned at a greaterdistance from ther screw 30 leaving a wider space at 38 therebetween.

A series of slots such as 39, 40, 4I and 42 which receive the markers 43are arranged to show strikes, balls, outs and scores as shown whichmarkers 43 can be moved along the slots to indicate the respectiveconditions in the game. Side lines such as indicated by the characters44 and 45 indicate the foul lines which are marked upon the base I0 anda further substantially' square mark 46 represents the usual diamondwith the character 41 representing the various The striking action ofthe portion I9 against theA marble 48 will impel the marble rapidlyalong the passage I6 where it will strike against one of the ns 35 orthe fin 31 of the vmember 29. This will cause the member 29 to rotaterapidly in the direction of the arrow 49 which imparts a certain amountof spin to the marble, which then passes along the curved portion 22.The other player who is positioned at the other end of the board at thismoment draws back the spring 2S by grasping the portion 28 and releasesthe same and tries to strike the marble with the portion 21.

After striking, the marble will be hit to any one of the pockets Il orwill land upon the field in some position either inside of the foullines or outside of the same and if themarble falls into one of thepockets, the playing situation as called for in the pocket is observed.If the player at the spring 26 does not strike the ball, this is termeda strike In case the ball jams within the member 29 or shoots off to oneside of the board, this is called a ball It will be observed that thesmaller n 31 by leaving a larger space at 38 in some cases will permitthe marble 43 to pass therethrough in the direction of the arrow El.This allows the ball to be carried outside and away from the strikingportion 2l and is therefore called a balL rThis provides an interestingelement in the game since in some cases the spinner will be in aposition to allow the ball to pass through or the rotation of the member29 may carry the fin to this position and thereby provides a deviationfrom the fin structure of uniform width. It will be observed, however,that the fins 35 are wide enough to prevent the ball from passingbetween the fins 35 and the stud 3B. This is to provide a positivespinning action regardless of position of the spinner with theexception, however, of that case when the smaller iin 31 issubstantially at right angles to the path of the marble.

Certain rules can be observed such as if a man 2li is on a base and isstruck by the marble, it can be called a double play. Any rules can beemployed as desired, such as for instance, when the ball lands on boardwithout falling in a pocket, it will naturally be a single allowing theplayer to advance, and other modifications can be employed as desired.

It should be noted principally, however, that the provision of the twospring actions provides a means for forming a game device allowingopposing teams with an interesting feature of actual conditions as athrown ball being employed, also the spinner or rotating member 29provides rurther important features in that it produces spin to allowthe ball to follow the curved contour more closely and also providesinteresting de viations such as the striking portion 27 to allow theball to shoot oi to one side. Other advantages are readily apparent.

It will now be seen that I have provided a baseball game which can beplayed by two players simulating a pitcher and a batter, which includesauxiliary means to impart a. spinning action to the ball as well asother desirable features, which includes means attendent therei with toduplicate actual playingr conditions and which can be manufactured at asimple cost.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my inventicn without departing from the real spirit and purposeof my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims anymodified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. A board baseball game comprising a playing eld having a plurality ofpockets for indicating certain baseball conditions, means positioned onsaid field to propel a marble within said pockets including a springmember for impelling said marble, a further spring member positionedvopposite to said spring member to simulate the approximate position ofa batter for striking a marble impelled by said spring member, a curvedmemberV positioned adjacent to said further spring member for causingpassage of a marble thereagainst, a rotating member pivotally attachedto the board adapted to impart spin to the marble, said rotating memberincluding a plurality of vertical ns against which said marble strikes,an upwardly projecting stud attached to said base upon which saidrotating member is pivoted, a part of said ns extending toward said studto prevent a marble passing therebetween and one of said ns being ofrestricted width to allow passage of a marble between said fin and saidstud.

2. Aboard baseball game comprising a playing field, means for impellinga marble along one side of said eld, a rotatingmember pivotallyattached` in the path of said marble, said rotating member including aplurality of vertical hns against which said marble strikes, an upwardlyprojecting stud attached to said eld upon which said rotating `member ispivoted, a part of said ns extending toward said stud to pre-v vent amarble passing therebetween, and one of said ns being or restrictedwidth to allow passage of a marble between said fin and said stud.

EDWIN L. SLATER.

